Asia Pacific Journal of Education, Arts and Sciences | Vol. 1, No. 4 | September 2014 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 90 P-ISSN 2362 – 8022 | E-ISSN 2362 – 8030 | www.apjeas.apjmr.com Teachers’ Multicultural Awareness of the School Environment: Basis for a Proposal for Multicultural Awareness Enhancement Program for Teachers NORIEL C. NAVITA De La Salle Lipa, Lipa City, Philippines ncnavita_27@yahoo.com Date Received: July 9, 2014; Date Published: September 04, 2014 Abstract – This study was undertaken to assess teachers’ multicultural awareness of the school environment in terms of the following: curriculum and instruction; professional development, competence and school policies; school climate; and personal views on the diversity of the school. This study also aimed to know if there is a significant difference on the perception of teachers’ multicultural awareness when grouped according to gender, educational attainment, position, rank, age and community. After knowing the results, a program enhancement for the multicultural awareness of teachers was developed. The researcher employed the mixed-method design in research. Quantitative research was used by giving survey sheets and using statistical treatments like the weighted mean, t-test of independent sample and one- way ANOVA. Qualitative research was employed through the Focused Group Discussion facilitated by the researcher to a group of teachers. Keywords – Multicultural Awareness, School Environment, professional development, school policy I. INTRODUCTION “There is unity in diversity”. This is one of the most popular quotes when the concept of diversity is being tackled. In a school setting, stakeholders must explore issued related to diversity in order to fully understand and respect the culture of other people. Stakeholders must also explore rationale for and process of considering a multicultural and gender-fair curriculum, cultural issues inherent in curricular change including language, culture, sexual preference, special needs of students and work towards resolving conflict between culture and curriculum. Multicultural education and awareness will serve as a process of curriculum reform that will Filipinize national aspirations, prosperity and peace (Sanchez, 2013). It is mandated in our Philippine Constitution that national aspirations should be developed and taught among the youth. By integrating multicultural education, these can be achieved. Peace and prosperity can be easily realized if the people are educated enough about the common goals and aspirations of the government. In addition, Sanchez stressed that multicultural education and awareness is needed to change the total educational environment so that it promotes a respect for a wide range of cultural groups and enables all groups to experience equal educational opportunities. It is very difficult for a student to be ostracized or be left behind just because he has a different culture. School administrators, faculty and staff should see to it that every student in the school will be given due respect and opportunities by giving consideration to the diverse background of the learners. In the PAASCU survey form, one of the areas that they are checking is the cultural sensitivity of the faculty and staff. Multicultural education integration in the curriculum is also one of the things that they are looking for during the accreditation of programs. The goal of multicultural education is not only to teach children about other groups or countries. It also aims to help children become accustomed to the idea that there are many languages, lifestyles, cultures and points of view. The purpose of multicultural curriculum is to attach positive feelings to multicultural experiences so that each child will feel included and valued, and will feel friendly and respectful toward people from other ethnic and cultural groups (Dimidjian, 1989). One key to helping young children develop a sense of being citizens of the world lies with the teacher. The disposition exhibited by the teacher in promoting everyone’s culture will be the success factor in the child’s development of multicultural perspective.